Saturday, 11 January 2014

Tackling the Cost of Living in the Countryside

Labour has unveiled policiesto tackle the cost of living in the
countryside.The Party’s candidate for Bridgwater and West
Somerset, Mick Lerry, says rural communities are suffering badly – with incomes
falling while prices spiral upwards.

Mick said: “Wages in rural areas have fallen in
real terms by £1,300 between 2010 and 2012 . And rural households have to spend £2,700 more on everyday goods, compared to
those in urban areas.

“The Government has failed to tackle the
rising cost of household energy, water and transport . And it has failed to build new affordable homes, protect rural bus
services or keep the roll out of broadband on track. .”

The next Labour government will tackle the rural cost of living crisis in our
rural communities by:

· Bringing off grid energy such as oil under the
control of the new energy regulator that we will set up in 2015.

· Delivering earlier Winter Fuel Payments to those
pensioners who are using off grid energy.

· Cutting and freezing business rates for small and
medium sized businesses, on premises with a rateable value under £50,000.

· Abolishing the bedroom tax which has an even
greater effect of displacing families and disrupting communities in rural
areas.

· Transferring £75 million from the Government’s
‘super-connected cities’ programme into a digital inclusion fund, so that
businesses and people in rural communities can learn how to make the internet
work for them.

Mick Lerry said “ The Bridgwater and West
Somerset constituency includesmany
rural communities – some of them among the most remote in England. People
living in our villages have been let down by the Tory-led coalition
government.Labour would reverse the
policies that have left so many people struggling to make ends meet.”